Device for holding hooks in sewing machines



Oct. 6, 1964 J. KOSCHOFF ETAL 3,151,585

DEVICE FOR HOLDING HOOKS IN SEWING MACHINES Filed March 21, 1963 INVENTOR.

J'QHN KOSCHQFF, g STEPHEN Kean:

ATTO 2N EYS United States Patent 3,151,585 DEVICE FOR HGLJING HGOKS IN SEWING MACHENES John Kosehett, 415 Locust Ave, Qcntralin, Pa, and Stephen Kezniciri, Rte. 122, Atlas, Pa. Filed Mar. 21, 53, Ser. No. 266,358 6 Slaims. (Cl. 1l21tl7) This invention relates to improvements in work holders for sewing machines, and more particularly to a device for holding a hook or similar element in a sewing machine while it is being sewn to a piece of fabric.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved positioning and retaining device for bolding a hook in a sewing machine while the hook is being sewn to a piece of fabric by the machine, the holding device being very simple in construction, being accurately adjustable to hold various sizes of hooks in horizontal positions while they are stitched to material, and providing clear passages for the needle at the opposite sides of the hook.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved hook holding device for positioning and retmning a hook while the hook is being sewn to a piece of fabric in a sewing machine, the devcie being accurately adjustable to accommodate a wide range of diiferent sizes of hooks and being provided with means for maintaining the device in adjustment, the device being inexpensive to manufacture, being durable in construction, and being easy to install on a sewing machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved device for holding hooks in sewing machines while they are being stitched to a piece of fabric, the device providing clear passages for the sewing machine needle at the opposite sides of the hook, being adjustable so that it guides the thread smoothly around the upstanding end of the hook, and being arranged so that hooks may be easily inserted therein, and after insertion will be reliably supported therein while they are being stitched to the fabric.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the followin description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an improved hook positioning and retaining device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the device of FIGURE 1 attached to a vibratory arm portion of a sewing machine and in operative position, with a hook supported therein, and in the process of being stitched to a piece of fabric.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FlGUlLE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical longitudinal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing a hook stitched to a piece of fabric after having been held in a sewing machine by the holding device illustrated in FIGURES l to 5.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an improved holding and positioning device for a hook, in accordance with the present invention. The device 11 comprises a member 13 which has an inner end 9 adapted for securement or attachment to a vibrator arm 12 of a sewing machine, for example, the arm intended to hold a button clamp, or similar attachment, and an outer end 3 adapted to receive a garment hook. Specifically, the member 13 comprises staggered inner and outer end portions, the inner end portion taking the form of a horizon tal rearwardly-extending top arm 14 and the outer end Patented Get. 7 6, 1%54 portion taking the form of a horizontal forwardly-extending bottom arm 15, and connecting the arms 14 and 15 togeflaer is a connecting bridge or vertical stem portion to. The inner end 9 or" the member 13 or the free end of the horizontal top arm 14 is formed with an elongated open-ended, rearwardly directed longitudinal slot 17 adapted to adjustably receive a clamping screw 18 threadedly engaged with the vibratory arm member 12, so that the Z-shaped member 13 may be adjustably clamped to the vibratory arm 12.

The outer end 8 of the member 13 on the free end of the bottom arm 15 is formed with a relatively deep forwardly opening notch 19 which is centrally disposed and which has a width of the same order as that of a typical conventional hook 269. The bottom arm 15 is longitudinally slotted symmetrically on opposite sides of its center line at 21, 21 and at 22, 22 to define a pair of relatively slender elongated bendable fingers 23, 23 located at the opposite sides of the notch 19, said fingers being formed at their inner edges with respective grooves 24, 24 adapted to receive the outer portions of the eye loops Z5, 25 of a hook 20. The fingers 2-3, 23 are relatively long and slender and are bendable so that the spacing between the grooves 24, 24 may be made such that the eye loops 25', 25 are frictionally engaged in the grooves so that the hook 2 is frictionally held in the notch 19. Thus, the holder is automatically adjusted, through resilient yielding, to accommodate random variations of hook sizes.

Designated at 26 is a longitudinally extending rigid tongue member which is rigidly secured to the under side of the arm 15 and which projects forwardly along the center line of said arm and which is adapted to underlie the shank portion of the hook 20 with the hook positioned in the notch 19 in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 2 to 5. The rigid tongue member 26 serves as a support for the rear portion of the hook and cooperates with the recesses 24, 24- in resiliently holding the hook in proper position for stitching to a piece of fabric.

The notch 19 is formed at its inner end with a small auxiliary notch 27 adapted to receive the side-by-side bignt portions 28, 28 of the hook and to thereby cooperate with the grooves 24, 24 to hold the hooks in centered position in the notch 1%. Designated at 29 is a rod member having a horizontal main body portion formed with threads 36* and being threadedly engageable in the intermediate portion of the vertical stem element 16, of member 13, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 4. The rod-like member 29 is formed at its forward end with the downwardly and forwardly inclined guide portion 31 adapted to overlie the upstandend portion of a hook 26) positioned in the notch 19 and serves as a guide means for guiding a thread loop 32 downwardly around the upstanding end of the hook and beneath said upstanding end, so that the loop may be tightened around the shank of the hook. The rod member 29 is longitudinally adjustable because of its threaded engagement with the stern member 16, so that it may be accurately positioned with respect to a particular type of hook 24 with which the attachment is employed, and may be locked in adjusted position by means of a lock nut 33 engaged on the threaded portion 30. With the rod member 29 suitably adjusted, for example, to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4, the lock nut 33 may be tightened to clampingly engage with the stem member 16 so as to rigidly secure the rod member 29 in its adjusted position.

The device holds the hook in the proper position with respect to the needle 35 of a sewing machine so that the needle has clear passages on opposite sides of the shank portion of the hook, and so that the hook may be stitched first at 37 to a piece of fabric 33, and then at the rear thread loops 32 being guided downwardly beneath the upstanding end portion of the hook by the inclined forward end 31 of the rod'member 29, as above described.

The device is employed in a manner generally similar to the manner of employment of the device shown in prior Patent 1,101,134 to H. B. Lyons, and it will be noted that as in the case of the device in said prior patent, the holding device of the present invention retains the hook in a secure and positive manner and prevents any lateral movement of the hook relative to the supporting arm 12, sothat there is no possibility of the hook moving into the path of the needle 35 when the needle is raised and of subse uently intercepting the needle on its downward stroke. As in the case of the device described in said prior patent, the attachment is vibrated and the stitches are so placed that the threads will drawn around the upstanding end of the hook'and will be tightened around the shank portion thereof, the loops 32 slipping downwardly along the inclined guide portion'31 and subsequently passing under the elevated end portion of the 't will be understood that in the initial part of the sewoperation, the hook 2%) is preferably so positioned with respect to the path of the needle 35 that under lateral vibration of the device a group of stitches is formed at and the shank portion of the hook in the eye elements 25, 25 thereof, stitches 37. Subsequently the member 12. is moved forwardly to permit the rear stitches 39 to be formed, employing the guide member 31 in the manner above described to guide the loops 3-" downwardly and around the upstanding end portion of the hook. The sewing of the stitches 37 and 39 is accomplished in the same mannor as described in prior Patent 1,101,134, which de scribes how a series of loops of thread 32 are formed by the action of a looper' forming part of the conventional mechanism of a sewing machine.

After a hook has been completely sewn to the material 38, in the manner above described, the attachment may be disengaged from the hook and a new hook may then be inserted in the attachment by slipping same into the notch 19 so as to be supported therein in the manner above described, and the material may then be moved so as to place the new hook in proper position for attachment thereto.

While a specific embodiment of an improved positionthereby providing the forward. holding ing and retaining device for holding, hooks in sewing machines in positions to be sewn to peces of fabric has been disclosed in the fore oin description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit or" the invention'may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: v

1. A device for holding garment hooks in position on sewing machines cornprisin a member having an inner end adapted for attachment to the vibratory arm of a sewing machine, and an outer end adapted to receive a garment hook, said outer end having a central notch, and pairs of slits on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of said notch, defining laterally bendable fingers the inner sides of which form a part of said central notch, grooves at the outer ends of said fingers, within said notch, for clampingly receiving the eyelets of a garment hook, and guide means carried by said member and cooperatively disposed with respect to said central notch for guiding a thread into the loop of said hook.

2. A device as in claim 1, said guide means comprising a rod t eadedly engaged in said member, for adjusted positioning, and having a slant portion with a terminal end closely adjacent the central notch.

3. In a device as in claim 2, a downwardly defiectable tongue member carried by said member, in underlying relation to said notch, and generally parallel to said fingers. v

4. In a device as in claim 1, a downwardly deflectable tongue member carried by said member, in underlying relation to said notch, and generally parallel to said fingers.

5. A device as in claim ,1, said plate having staggered inner and outer end portions, and a connecting bridge, and said guide'means comprising a rod threaded in said bridge, for adjustable positioning, and having a slant,

outer portion, with a terminal end closely adjacent the central notch. a

6. In a device as in claim 5, a deiectable tongue member carried by said member, in underlying relation to said notch, and generally parallel to said fingers.

Refer-slices Cited in the'file oi": this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,191,134 Lyons June 23, 1914 1,294,927 McCann Feb. 18, 1919 1,786,354 Lohman Dec. 23, 1930 

1. A DEVICE FOR HOLDING GARMENT HOOKS IN POSITION ON SEWING MACHINES COMPRISING A MEMBER HAVING AN INNER END ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE VIBRATORY ARM OF A SEWING MACHINE, AND AN OUTER END ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A GARMENT HOOK, SAID OUTER END HAVING A CENTRAL NOTCH, AND PAIRS OF SLITS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF SAID NOTCH, DEFINING LATERALLY BENDABLE FINGERS THE INNER OF SAID NOTCH, DEFINING LATERALLY BENDABLE FINGERS THE GROOVES AT THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID FINGERS, WITHIN SAID NOTCH, FOR CLAMPINGLY RECEIVING THE EYELETS OF A GARMENT HOOK, AND GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID MEMBER AND COOPERATIVELY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID CENTRAL NOTCH FOR GUIDING A THREAD INTO THE LOOP OF SAID HOOK. 